By Robin Steinweg
How do you prepare for fall? A vacation from lessons or a lighter teaching load can offer opportunities to create a master list.
Here are some of my to-dos:
- Determine available teaching times
- Will I offer 30, 45 or 60-minute lessons?
- How many weeks will I teach?
- Will I give myself weeks off?
- Send my policy, schedule, and registration forms to students
- Let students sign up on MTH!
- Will I get a raise?
- Does my policy need tweaking or firming up (See other teachers’ policies for ideas)?
- Will I require parents to initial sections and sign an agreement?
- Weed my files
- What haven’t I used in a year?
- Are files titled for easiest retrieval?
- Shall I divide by grade level or genre? What works best for me?
- Might I use a retrieval system—such as Paper Tiger online?
- Will I donate or sell what I don’t keep?
- Clean/organize my studio
- Attend workshops
- Plan so I don’t purchase duplicates or binge
- Check instruments for needed maintenance
- Consider a theme for the year or season
- Will group classes, recitals and special pieces reflect this theme?
- Will I decorate according to the theme?
- (a bulletin board labeled “Prepare for Fall” could contain notes/symbols to identify, or a picture with hidden music symbols. A football field with lesson “yard lines” might make for a prepare for fall practice push)
- Choose new activities or games
- A studio-wide motivation chart to record goals met
- New game for group lessons
- Contact waiting list if there are timeslots to fill
- Look for décor, incentives and teaching aids at garage sales, thrift stores or a dollar store
- Laser pointer
- Stick with pointing hand
- Shaped erasers
- Stickers
- Prizes for goals met or to add to the studio “store”
- Waiting area materials
- Puzzles
- Books
- Music magazines
- Coloring books and crayons or colored pencils
- Water bubbler or bottles
- Swap out materials monthly or quarterly?
- Add technology—for the techno-challenged, push yourself to try just one!
- Tonic Tutor
- Music Maestro
- Scads more!
What would you add? Or do you prepare for fall in a totally different way?
In my August 28th post I’ll have ideas for creating teacher binders. See you then!